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Archive 2015 · B&W portrait

  
 
rongwam
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · B&W portrait


I did not intentionally shoot this image for B&W, but I found that it could be a good subject for B&W close-up portrait. I am going for a dramatic B&W image, but wonder if it is too dark. Would love to hear your opinions. Thanks.





© Henry Nguyen 2015




Sep 21, 2015 at 04:40 PM
sbeme
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · B&W portrait


Since you are asking opinions about the processing, "is it too dark?", got to know what kind of mood, response, reaction, message you are hoping to evoke or send. What kind of dramatic statement?
What is the backstory?

In the meantime, two minor suggestions.

1. The chin appears softer than the rest of the skin. Did you touch this up? I would prefer more uniform if that is the case, since the rest of the image is about texture, including the face lips and above/ Was there a loss of detail in the highlights there? I would pull it back if so.
2. I think a slightly tighter crop would strengthen whatever statement you are making I would crop from the right, eliminating most of the hood/headpiece but stopping before her hair. To balance I would then take a small amount from the bottom

Scott



Sep 21, 2015 at 06:32 PM
rongwam
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · B&W portrait


Thanks Scott for the opinion.
I photographed this lady who was posing to give a wicked look at my camera. I chose a wide aperture to blur out the busy background, that resulted in a soft chin when the focus was on her right eye. Had I have intention to convert it to B&W initially, I would choose a a narrower aperture to gain more details on her face and the headpiece. I did not retouch the chin, but I see what you meant about the more uniform skin tone. I could clone back some details to balance that chin area.
About cropping, I would prefer to keep the hood/headpiece since I wanted to use it to frame her face.



Sep 21, 2015 at 06:50 PM
sbeme
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · B&W portrait


My first reaction was Halloween, a crone
Nice conversion, expression, good
Maybe worth cloning in some texture on the chin
Strong image



Sep 21, 2015 at 07:55 PM
sbeme
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · B&W portrait


Oh, and not too dark at all
Scott



Sep 21, 2015 at 08:14 PM
Squirrely Eyed
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · B&W portrait


+1 to Scott's comments. The chin being soft is the first thing I noticed on the photo as my eye scanned around because the rest of it is so sharp. I would recommend to try to sharpen that a bit. I figured it was due to the wide aperture, but I think the image would be stronger with some sharpness there or maybe add a little more blur to the lower portion of the photo.


Sep 21, 2015 at 09:23 PM
beavens
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · B&W portrait


I dig it!!

+1 @ more DOF being preferable.

I'd take some off the right and the bottom to tighten things up some.

Cheers,

Jeff



Sep 22, 2015 at 06:35 AM
rongwam
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · B&W portrait


Thanks Scott, Squirrely, and Jeff for your feedbacks. I too agreed with more DOF. Thanks guys.




Sep 22, 2015 at 10:37 AM
lylejk
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · B&W portrait


Like high contrast images for certain subjects.

Just PMed you rongwam.



Sep 23, 2015 at 08:06 AM





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